It’s been a busy year on the insurance benefits front, one that could result in some carrier changes next fiscal year.
Last fall, Employee Benefits Manager Ellen Gerescher reported to the System Employee Benefits Advisory Committee (SEBAC) that System Human Resources would open most of the A&M System’s benefit programs to bids from insurance companies and plan administrators. In response, SEBAC formed subcommittees to help review carrier plan information and provide feedback to System Human Resources.
With the bid process complete, System Human Resources is now in the process of submitting recommendations to A&M System senior management, who will review the recommendations and decide which carriers will manage these benefit programs for the A&M System beginning next Sept. 1.
System Human Resources received proposals from companies for the following programs:
For the System Human Resources benefits staff, the bidding process has meant months of poring over and comparing mountains of cost, plan coverage and provider network information from prospective insurance carriers in hopes of finding the best value for A&M System employees and retirees. The process has also meant coordinating finalist presentations for each plan. These presentations were attended by human resources staff members and SEBAC representatives.
“It’s a time-consuming process,” said Senior Employee Benefits Representative Laura Dohnalik, who has been reviewing much of the material. “We scrutinize every plan proposal to make sure our employees and retirees continue getting the most for their money. This means looking at the financial strength of each company, the number of years they’ve been in business, and their financial market ratings.”
Dohnalik added that the health, dental and vision plans present an additional challenge.
“Because we have people across the state, the plans we select must have provider networks that are comparable in size to our current networks,” she said. “And because maintaining patient-doctor relationships is important, we also look at which networks have many of the same providers as our current networks.”
Although the bidding process is arduous, Gerescher said it offers System Human Resources a chance to see how the group insurance environment has changed and expanded.
“We are required by the Texas Insurance Code to bid our plans every six years, but it also gives us an opportunity to see what’s new in the marketplace,” Gerescher said. “Our goal is to provide the best plans for our employees in terms of provider networks, premium cost and plan design.”
Look for more information on insurance changes in future issues of Systemwide.
With classes ending next month and summer just around the bend, vacation plans are probably already on your mind. But before you start packing, check out System Human Resources’ Guide to Using Your Benefits While Traveling.
Whether you plan on taking a trip outside the country, the state or even just out of your health plan’s network, this brochure will provide handy tips on using your health, prescription drug, dental and vision benefits. Do you know where to find a claim form for services you receive in Mexico or the southern part of France? This brochure tells you. Are you aware of your health plan enrollment options if you are in an HMO but know you’ll be living in New Hampshire longer than 90 days? The brochure tells you that, too.
Guide to Using Your Benefits While Traveling also explains the wide array of travel services available through the Optional Accidental Death and Dismemberment plan, including replacement of medications, location of lost items, interpretation/translation and emergency travel arrangements.
Best of all, this information is in a brochure that can be easily tucked into your beach bag next to your sunscreen and shades.
Yes, you can. As long as you complete and sign the claim form, Tax Saver Plan will pay the claim. If the claim form is not signed, Tax Saver Plan will send it back to you.
Your wife can also use your Spending Account debit card, but you will have to submit a receipt to substantiate the transaction. However, once you submit the receipt, that transaction will be marked as recurring, which means you typically will not have to provide receipts in the future as long as the provider and the amount charged are the same.
For more information, contact Tax Saver Plan at (800) 328-4337.